Levein lays down the law

[ian1964 10,720]

CRAIG Levein made it clear to goalkeeper David Marshall last night that his Scotland career will be over if he plays for Cardiff City tomorrow.

 

An elbow injury meant Marshall was one of five call-offs from Levein�s squad to play in Sweden tomorrow night, with Scott Brown likely to increase that number to six. Marshall did fly to Glasgow to be assessed by the SFA�s medical staff so that the injury was confirmed before he returned to Cardiff, but the 25-year-old had been at the centre of a club-versus-country wrangle last week.

 

Manager Dave Jones had asked for him to be released for a Carling Cup tie at Burton Albion tomorrow because of a chronic shortage of players at the club following a transfer embargo, but Levein refused that request. Marshall aggravated a previous elbow problem against Sheffield United on Sunday.

 

There is no suggestion that Jones still intends to pick Marshall for Cardiff tomorrow, but if he does he will end his player�s Scotland career. Levein is determined to be fair but firm with players and club managers and his message to Marshall was unequivocal.

 

ââ?¬Å?If he plays for Cardiff on Wednesday I donââ?¬â?¢t think heââ?¬â?¢ll be back in the Scotland squad,ââ?¬Â he said. ââ?¬Å?To be fair to him he came up last night and I spoke to him. ââ?¬Ë?Marshââ?¬â?¢ came up at 10 oââ?¬â?¢clock last night and flew down first thing this morning.

 

ââ?¬Å?Heââ?¬â?¢s got a problem with his elbow. Heââ?¬â?¢s had it for weeks. In my opinion, and in the medical teamââ?¬â?¢s opinion, heââ?¬â?¢s not fit to play on Wednesday. Iââ?¬â?¢ve got to look at these situations and listen to what my medical people tell me. I was really pleased the lad made the effort to come up.ââ?¬Â

 

Graham Dorrans and Andy Webster also turned up to be assessed and ruled out by injuries while Alan Hutton has had an injection because of a groin problem and Lee McCulloch was briefly hospitalised by a virus.

 

Brown was on the SFA flight to Stockholm yesterday but is almost definitely out of the game because of a heel injury. The number of call-offs was dispiriting but not catastrophic, and all were genuine.

 

ââ?¬Å?I think weââ?¬â?¢ve got to put some sort of rules in place,ââ?¬Â said Levein. ââ?¬Å?If youââ?¬â?¢re playing in a game just before the call-up and you get an injury then I think itââ?¬â?¢s right that you turn up and let the doctors assess the injury, and thatââ?¬â?¢s whatââ?¬â?¢s happened. Everybody has played fair, one hundred percent. Itââ?¬â?¢s a reasonably high number of call-offs. But Iââ?¬â?¢m very comfortable.ââ?¬Â

 

Hutton, Craig Gordon and Gary Caldwell ââ?¬â?? all first-choice Scotland players ââ?¬â?? have long-term injury problems. Scott Robertson and two uncapped players, Garry Kenneth and Everton goalkeeper Iain Turner, were called up to the squad to face the Swedes.

 

http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/more-scottish-football/levein-lays-down-the-law-play-for-cardiff-and-your-scotland-career-is-over-manager-tells-marshall-1.1047169